Psalm 18:11

11 And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, even dark water in the clouds of the air.

Psalm 18:11 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:11

He made darkness his secret place
Which, and the dark waters in the next clause, are the same with the thick clouds in the last, in which Jehovah is represented as wrapping himself, and in which he lies hid as in a secret place; not so as that he cannot see others, as wicked men imagine, ( Job 22:13 Job 22:14 ) ; but as that he cannot be beheld by others; the Targum interprets it,

``he caused his Shechinah to dwell in darkness;''

his pavilion round about him [were] dark waters, [and] thick clouds of
the skies;
these were as a tent or tabernacle, in which he dwelt unseen by men; see ( Job 36:29 ) ; all this may design the dark dispensation of the Jews, after their rejection and crucifixion of Christ; when God departed from them, left their house desolate, and them without his presence and protection; when the light of the Gospel was taken away from them, and blindness happened unto them, and they had eyes that they should not see, and were given up to a judicial darkness of mind and hardness of heart; which were some of the dark, deep, and mysterious methods of divine Providence, with respect to which God may be said to be surrounded with darkness, dark waters, and thick clouds; see ( Romans 11:7 Romans 11:8 Romans 11:25 Romans 11:32 Romans 11:33 ) .

Psalm 18:11 In-Context

9 And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet.

10 And he mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds.

11 And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, even dark water in the clouds of the air.

12 At the brightness before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.

13 The Lord also thundered from heaven, and the Highest uttered his voice.